Photo By: Keystone
Team Keystone Off-Road
KEYSTONE OFFROAD RACING TEAM: IRONMAN GNCC RACE REPORT
The finale and round thirteen of the Can-Am Grand National Cross Country series, took place in the desolate plains of Crawfordsville, Indiana. After making the five hundred mile trek westward, the team pulled into the track Saturday morning welcomed by thousands of spectators and a never-ending dusty haze. Despite a forecasted chance of rain all weekend, it never came. As a result, the riders of Keystone Offroad Racing were faced with the driest conditions ever in their racing careers. After making airbox modifications and goggle adjustments, the team was ready to race on Sunday morning.
At ten o'clock, Women's rider LeeAnn Bange took to the starting line sporting a bright pink chest protector and neck brace in support of breast cancer awareness. When the green flag flew, LeeAnn struggled to start her bike and was the last rider to leave the line. However, it didn't take long before she started making moves, quickly passing two riders before even entering the first section of woods. Regardless of dust, LeeAnn put in an incredible push on the first lap to pass every rider in her class and claim the number one position. Even more impressive, she managed to get stuck on one of the tracks famous uphill's and still finished out the lap an incredible minute and a half ahead of second. On the second lap of racing, LeeAnn found herself stuck on yet another hill, but this time was unable to maintain first. Although conditions were dry, elevation changes on the track had thick layers of dust that fell to the bottom causing LeeAnn's bike to bog down and lose momentum. On the third lap, LeeAnn was back up to pace and once again made a push to reclaim the number one position. For the remainder of the two hour race, LeeAnn was engaged in a close battle for the win. She and fellow women rider Ashley Crouch swapped positions multiple times on the dust stricken course during the final two laps. When the checkered flag flew, LeeAnn rolled across the finish line a close nine seconds behind first and an incredible 48th overall of 560 riders. LeeAnn finished out the season a solid fourth in points after a tie-breaker was made for third.
Just after the dust settled from the morning event, Keystone Offroad Racing Team's afternoon riders Jed Haines, Zack Smith, and Ian Pannebakker took their places on start. In the XC1 Pro division, Jed Haines was looking for a trouble free race after suffering crashes and mechanical issues throughout the entire second half of the season. At the start, Jed's bike took several kicks before firing which left him towards the back of the pack. Despite multiple lines throughout the course, dust conditions were so bad passing was virtually impossible without risking a serious crash. By the end of the first lap the XC1 class was divided into two groups, virtually separated by a wall of dust. Jed was running 18th only seconds behind a large group of riders in his class. On lap two Jed made an aggressive push towards the front in an attempt to escape the dust and catch the lead pack. Jed passed five riders in one lap and recorded an impressive lap time to take over 13th position. Jed maintained his blistering pace throughout the third lap and eventually into a top ten position. Unfortunately, towards the end of the course Jed hit a large hay bale positioned on the downside of a blind jump. The crash broke his radiator forcing him to make a trip back to the trailer for repairs. After replacing a radiator, he set back out on the track only to have his bike suck in dust and seize. Jed's speed in the second half of the season has been overshadowed by problems at each round but he remains confident and is already looking forward to the 2011 season.
Keystone Offroad's 250A rider Zack Smith had another rough start and found himself in the back half of the class. However, Zack's reserved, yet fast riding style allowed him to pass eight riders on the 11 mile course prior to the conclusion of lap one. Heading into the second loop, Zack was running a comfortable 7th place, closely trailing the tires of several other riders in his class. His consistent riding in the dangerous conditions allowed him to pass three more riders on the second lap to put him in 4th. Towards the end of lap three Zack made a brief stop for gas and a fresh pair of goggles. Unfortunately, Zack went several more laps before he was forced to make an unplanned pit stop for a new air filter. His bike was losing power each lap and struggling to climb Ironman's infamous hills in the dry, desert-like conditions. Luckily the gap between himself and 5th was big enough that he was able to maintain his position on the track. The remainder of Zack's race was rather uneventful; he made few mistakes but was unable to close the time deficit on the riders up front. After three hours and twenty minutes on the bike, he finished the race 4th in class and 25th overall. Although suffering several bike problems throughout the season, Zack still pulled off a solid second place finish in the GNCC 250A division. He leaves his racing career as an amateur behind on a high note as he plans on moving to the XC2 Pro division for 2011.
In the 4 Stroke A Lites division, Keystone rider Ian Pannebakker managed a mid-pack start in the dusty conditions. For a majority of the first lap Ian struggled to make any passes because of the extremely dry conditions. Even in the open cornfields dust trails from other riders left little opportunity for clear vision. At the start of the second lap, Ian held down the 5th place position with fourth place in sight. He made the pass for fourth during the early portion of lap two in a corn field and then set sights on catching third. Halfway through the lap Ian's charge was briefly slowed when after getting stuck in dust on a hillside, that's right, dust! In no time he was back on the bike and made the pass for 3rd. On the third lap Ian rode smooth and made a pit stop for gas, water, and goggles before finishing out the lap. On lap four, Ian made the pass for 2nd place and continued closing the gap on the leader into lap five. Eventually, Ian's charge allowed him to catch first place and then make the pass with relative ease. However, things weren't going to be that easy. "I moved into first place without any battle and then all of the sudden AJ brought the pace to another level," he explained at the end of the race. The two riders rode close together for the remainder of the race but never exchanged positions again. Ian crossed the finish line a close eight seconds behind first to lockdown a season best 2nd place. Unfortunately, Ian's mechanical DNF two weeks prior meant he needed to win in order to advance his point's standings; he finished the season sixth.
The Keystone Offroad Racing Team had one of its better results at the Can-Am GNCC season finale in Crawfordsville. Despite dusty conditions that made breathing difficult for both riders and machines, each team member put in a strong performance. LeeAnn Bange and Ian Pannebakker battled for wins in their respective classes, while Zack Smith rode smart to finish runner up in season end points. Jed Haines' second half of the season was plagued by crashes and bike issues but he never gave up. Keystone Offroad Racing Team is looking for support for the 2011 season where they will launch a full-fledged racing effort. The riders look forward to training during the off season and returning as stronger, faster racers next season.
Results:
Jedediah Haines (XC1)- Class: 14/21 Overall: 169/225 Season Point Standing: 13th
LeeAnn Bange (Women)- Class: 2/9 Overall: 48/560 Season Point Standing: 4th
Ian Pannebakker (4 Stroke A Lites)- Class: 2/13 Overall: 24/225 Season Point Standing: 6th
Zackery Smith (250 A)- Class: 4/16 Overall: 25/225 Season Point Standing: 2nd
Written By: Ian Pannebakker
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